Herschell
Gordon Lewis is
considered to be
the inventor of
the contemporary
'splatter film'
His early movie
success came with
low budget nudie
film in the early
1960's.
As the novelty and
popularity of mainstream
sex farces like
"Adventures
of Lucky Pierre"
began to fade, Lewis
decided to give
audiences something
new by offering
a story with deranged
and graphic murder
that made the Grand
Guignol, Southern
Gothic movies of
the 1950's seem
like Disney films.
The result was Blood
Feast, about an
insane caterer who
sacrifices his victims
to the goddess Ishtar
and then uses their
flesh in his meals.
Lewis' first three
gore films are called
The Blood Trilogy
collectively, and
all are noted for
their laughable
acting and less
than realistic FX.
The bright red blood
in Lewis' films
compensates for
its utter lack of
realism by being
so generously used
in scenes that place
morbid creativity
above sophistication
or believability.
Fans of Chainsaw
Massacre, Hostel,
Saw and the modern
examples of gore
may find some humorous
insight into the
origins of the genre
with the Blood Trilogy.
Herschell
Gordon Lewis began
his working life as
a teacher before moving
into the field of
advertising.
He
was given the task
of directing a televison
series while working
for a studio in Oklahoma
City.
He was soon invited
to buy in as a half-partner
in a film studio and
his notorious career
was about to begin.
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